Alright, so I’ve been wanting to remake this Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001 for a while now. It’s a real beauty, and I thought it would be a fun project to try and recreate it on my own. I got my hands on an original order piece, so I could really get a good look at all the details.
First, I spent a lot of time just studying the original watch. I took it apart carefully, noted down every little detail, measured everything, and took tons of photos. This watch is known for its “Clous de Paris” bezel and those elegant three-dimensional hands, so I knew I had to get those details right.
Then, I started gathering the materials. The original has a rose gold case, so I found some similar rose gold material to work with. It’s a 39mm case, which is pretty slim, so I made sure to get the dimensions just right. I even managed to find a similar silvery-grained dial material, which was a big win.
- Studied the original watch and took it apart.
- Noted down details and took photos.
- Gathered materials, including rose gold and a silvery-grained dial.
- Made sure to get the dimensions right.
- Worked on recreating the bezel and hands.
The next step was actually recreating the parts. I started with the case, carefully shaping the rose gold to match the original. Then came the tricky part – the bezel. It took a lot of trial and error, but I finally got it to look just like the original “Clous de Paris” pattern. I also spent a good amount of time working on the hands. I wanted them to have that same three-dimensional look, so I carefully shaped and polished them until they looked just right.
Building the Movement
Now, the movement was a whole other challenge. The original has this new manually wound movement, the 30-255 PS, with a 65-hour power reserve. I obviously couldn’t recreate that exactly, but I found a similar movement that I could modify to fit the case and work with the hands. I spent hours tinkering with it, adjusting this and that, until it was running smoothly.
Finally, I put everything together. I fitted the dial, attached the hands, and carefully placed the movement inside the case. I added a nice leather strap, just like the original, and there it was – my very own recreated Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001.
It’s not an exact replica, of course, but I’m really happy with how it turned out. I learned a lot, had a ton of fun and finally got the remake done. It’s not going to be a daily wear for me, but It is definitely a nice addition to my collection and a great conversation starter!
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